Health - the basis of beauty

Beauty is something that attracts an onlooker like a magnet. A beautiful woman sends his heartbeat racing!

A woman born beautiful can be considered a fortunate person. Her admirers may compare her radiant face to the moon, her large eyes to the lotus flower, her lips to the rose, her skin to soft silk and so on and so forth.

She may feel thrilled by the praise and her pink cheeks may glow even more with pride!

Those who are not born strikingly beautiful will say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, that inner beauty - the beauty of thought and deed - is what matters most. Those who have a dark complexion, make it a plus point and claim, "Black is beautiful !!"

It cannot be denied that every woman loves to look beautiful. Femininity itself is beauty. So what is wrong if a female wishes to look beautiful? Even those who are plain strive hard and, in fact, succeed pretty well in looking smart.
femininity is beauty
Femininity itself is beauty. So what is wrong if a female wishes to look beautiful?

When we talk about the beauty of a woman, we may say that every part of her body from head to foot is beautiful. the long tresses of jet black hair, her glowing face, the slim figure, the shapely legs et al.

But all this beauty cannot be appreciated unless and until it has the support of robust health. Beauty and health go hand in hand. In fact, health without beauty can never be appreciated.

A woman, beautiful but not healthy, is referred to as a sick woman. It is essential therefore that a woman takes as much, if not more, care of her health as of her beauty.

Now the question arises: how to take care of health? To take care of it she has to at least first admit the fact that her health is slowly deteriorating.

Most women do not want to even admit this. "My health? I am healthy ... nothing wrong with me..." This is the readymade answer of those reluctant to approach the physician to get help for some niggling problem.

In fact, there may be nothing seriously wrong about their health to compel them to visit their doctor, but at the same time they wouldn't be able to deny the fact that all is not well with them.

To find out how fit a person is, it is not really necessary to see a doctor. When a woman puffs and pants while climbing up stairs or while running to catch a bus, when she finds it difficult to walk briskly and talk at the same time, when her joints feel stiff, when she finds that she has grown fat, when she gets up tired in the morning, when she has difficulty in getting sleep at night and when depression haunts her - she may take it that her health needs some toning up.

These kinds of health problems could be easily taken care if by doing regular exercises and maintaining a proper diet.

The mere mention of exercise, however, causes alarm and many women prefer to avoid it! "I can't do all that bending, twisting and stretching," some say. "Who has the time and patience to do EXERCISE?", glare others.

woman stretching
Exercise does not guarantee long life but it will certainly improve the quality of life.

As for time and patience, when we know that it is beneficial, why not allot a little time for it, say, just an hour a week? As for bending and twisting, exercise does not necessarily imply all that!

An exercise is beneficial because it tones up the muscles and helps the heart pump blood more efficiently. It also helps in getting rid of the waste products before they get time to accumulate - and exercise greatly helps to relax.

An exercise may involve jogging, swimming, jumping, skipping, aerobics, pilates, playing tennis and various forms of strenuous physical exercises for those who are prepared to do all that. But women who do not like this can do simple exercises. Homemakers, especially can try these exercises.

Relaxation is something that is the desperate need of today's mechanical, tension-packed life. Not a day passes without stress and strain that leave is exhausted. Stress does not mean hard-work. It involves excessive demands on mental energy and emotions. This results in anger, aggressiveness and frustration, more so when a woman is PMSing. All these, for sure take their toll.

As such one easy exercise is deep regular breathing for relaxation. Try to breathe slowly and deeply, relaxing every muscle in the body. Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) also help in reducing stress and tension.

In the same way walking is also another simple exercise, provided you walk briskly. Leisurely strides do not constitute "exercise". Skipping is an excellent exercise for developing physical endurance and for improving the function of the heart and the lungs.

But do consult a doctor before you embark upon any strenuous exercise program.

Exercise increases suppleness, strength and stamina. It makes you fit and you are able to cope with the physical and the mental demands of everyday life more efficiently. It does not guarantee long life but it will certainly improve the quality of life.

It tightens your muscles, flattens up your stomach and tones up your body so that your appear to be less fat. Just 15 minutes every day is enough. Read Shape up in 4 weeks.

But exercise should not be done immediately after taking food. At least a gap of 2 hours is essential. Also read Exercising Errors. When you are tired and ill (it may even be a cold and nothing serious), it is better to avoid exercise.

Diet is another important factor that helps to make you look beautiful and healthy. Over-eating is an error committed by many women. In many cases it is not the desire for food that makes them eat more. they hate to waste the leftover food.

So the woman of the house puts it inside her tummy rather than the garbage pail!  This is, indeed, a bad practice. It is better to learn to cook just the required amount, maybe even a little less than the required amount. You can always adjust this by supplementing the meal with fruits and salads.

Moreover,eating a little less is not as harmful as eating a little extra. Over-eating results in obesity. This spoils the beauty as well as health. Innumerable health problems crop up when a woman is fat; so avoid overeating. 

Also eat sparingly of meats, especially red meat and highly-spiced food. In fact, some researchers suggest that it is better to dispense with the flesh food altogether.

woman overeating
                     Overeating leads to obesity.

While Benjamin Franklin has rightly pointed out,  "I saw a few die of hunger, of eating, a hundred thousand.”,  Thomas Jefferson hits the nail on the head when he affirms "We never repent of having eaten too little.”. (Read more such inspiring nutrition quotes.)

So never overload yourself. If you do not want to throw anything away, do not stock it inside your stomach. Give it to the needy, instead. S

o many people in India go without a square meal a day. By giving away alms to the poor or offering food to stray animals, you will not only earn good karma but will also experience 'the joy of giving without expecting anything in return'.

Furthermore, it's  common these days for women to have a hurried breakfast and a hurried meals. Even homemakers are guilty of this crime.  It is always better to eat slowly and chew thoroughly; so  when you are having food do not do multitasking such as watching TV or working on your laptop. Eat calmly and slowly.

Finally if you want to look beautiful and also healthy, do not overwork. Do not exert yourself too much. Take rest when you feel tired. Plenty of sleep is needed to tone up your beauty - at least 7-9 hours of sleep.

A woman can sleep well only when she learns not to worry unnecessarily. Brooding and worrying over the remorses of yesterday and apprehensions of tomorrow will only add to the mental burden.

By worrying like this, you'll have wrinkles on your face, your hair will turn gray and you'll have dark circles around your eyes. Isn't that dreadful? Worry will leave you more haggard, more exhausted and make you look double your age.

woman worrying
Brooding and worrying over the remorses of yesterday and apprehensions of tomorrow will only spoil your beauty.

So, my dear friends, if you want to remain beautiful, do remember that beauty cannot survive without the support of good health. Let's remain beautiful by following a few simple exercises, eating a proper diet and by not worrying unnecessarily.

(Guest post by Dhara. S)

Related Posts That You May Like:
Advertisements

16 comments:

  1. Sampada10:24 AM

    Eating well is one of the best investments you can make for your health.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:27 AM

    drink more water and cut out processed sugar ....... that includes sodas, pop and soft drinks, alcohol ....... processed sugar ages you rapidly causing a process called glycation ...... just drink water water water and hydrate yourself properly ....... try to the best ofyour ability not to eat out of a package ..... eat food in as close to its natural state as possible....... fresh fruit and vegies, lots and lots of green vegies too ........ wholegrains and cereals like brown rice and ditch the white bread, cakes, pastries ........ haha, takes all the fun out of eating hey ... but only till your taste buds become accustomed to the natural flavors ...... energise your body, mind and soul ...... regulates you too ... that's what i wish i'd done earlier .. better late than never though i spose ....... the human body has an amazing capacity to heal and an equally amazing capacity to tolerate abuse.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bharati10:29 AM

    Try eating lots of fruit and veggies so you dont feel bloated and "rotten"
    I love paining my nails different colors as its an easy way to update your look and look great
    Leave your conditioner in for a few minutes so it acts on your hair
    drink plenty of water

    ReplyDelete
  4. Is garlic really good for our health & beauty?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Garlic is very good for you, so yeah, it's more than okay.

    When I cook with it, I saute in a bit of olive oil making it soft, not for a long time either, if we overcook it, it loses it's health properties, so just slightly is best.

    It's super good with lots of recipes. Years ago, I would eat the bulbs raw, but it's much better cooked with pasta or food. Just tastes better.

    I use Kyolic odorless capsules on a daily basis.

    Garlic protects our tissues, has antioxidant properties which protect us from free radicals, lowers total serum cholesterol along with lowering our LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases our good cholesterol (HDL).

    It increases our circulation, is good for our heart, the list goes on and on. As you can see, yes, Garlic is very good for a person, so nothing bad can come from eating it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Why do women put beauty before health?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous10:38 AM

    Good question. Women tend to be insecure and believe that her man will stick with her/will get a man if she looks good. Truth is, guys usually like girls for personality (the good ones, at least) and would appreciate a woman who takes care of herself. I admit, I've fallen to the "trying to look good" category because of self-esteem issues, but now I've realized that my health comes first and that the right guy will come along who I don't have to change a thing for.

    ReplyDelete
  8. yoga Guru9:10 AM

    Yoga practice can provide you inner as well as outer beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pratibha9:16 AM

    Why don't we feel tired while engaged in a work , but feel it when we take rest ?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think it's as someone said a matter of focus. When you are busy your brain doesn't realise you are tired because you are too busy doing something else. However when you are resting the brain can now turn it's attention to the body which says "hey I'm tired". Eventually the body does take over, but it is amazing how long we can go on for without tiring. The miracle of the mind...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Satya9:22 AM

    A good complete breakfast is pancakes, scrambled eggs w/ cheese, bacon and OJ and Milk.
    that's a 100% great breakfast

    ReplyDelete
  12. Naveen9:26 AM

    Relaxation breathing strategies?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dharitri9:26 AM

    I used to lie in bed flat on my back before I went to sleep. Stretch your entire body really well. Then I would get really comfortable, and close my eyes. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply a couple of times while "freeing" your mind. Try not to think about anything other than your body. Then, starting at your toes, completely relax them. Then move up to your feet, then legs, thighs, stomach....all the way to your fingers and neck and head, even face muscles. When relaxing each body part, don't move and don't think about anything but the body part you are relaxing. After your whole body is relaxed, you will feel better. It works wonders for me. I even fall asleep more quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Vandita9:35 AM

    How to keep myself from eating extra food?

    ReplyDelete
  15. use smaller sized plates when eating, and when ur going to get a snack and ur not hungry, take a walk, listen to music, or try to distract urself.
    OR
    Drink water. A lot of people have your "problem." Food is somethin that comforts a lot of people. By replacing your snackin with dirnkin water you will not only prevent eating but you will actually improve your bod. A well hydrated body looks all around healthier and is more resiliant when confronted with everyday challenges. Water also fills you up which is the most important aspect!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yogini9:43 AM

    Relaxation?
    Meditation. If you meditate everyday, you pick the time, then that will carry over into the rest of your life. Once you have anchored yourself in a state of relaxation and peace then you are more sensitive when you begin to get out of balance and thus you do not let yourself go over the edge.
    OR
    Try praying to God!

    ReplyDelete

Comments posted on this blog are moderated and approved only if they are relevant, on-topic and not abusive. Avoid using links to your site/blog in the body of your comment unless it is highly relevant to the post.